


Consequences and Repercussions

by Peropero



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers Feeling Guilty, Brainwashed!Tony, Brainwashing, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Hurt Tony, Hurt/Comfort, Hydra, Kidnapped Tony Stark, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Team, Tony Angst, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-28
Updated: 2016-10-26
Packaged: 2018-07-10 17:26:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6997756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peropero/pseuds/Peropero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It is Hydra that retrieves Tony from Siberia.</p><p>Months later, Tony Stark is still missing and the Accords are nullified. The Avengers come back to the compound. However, they don’t worry too much about the fact that Tony never made it back from Siberia— well, he could have decided to take a break and run off, right?</p><p>But when they sweep through a Hydra base and unexpectedly stumble upon the broken Mechanic, it’s time to face consequences of their choices.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Missing in Siberia

**Author's Note:**

> “There are in nature neither rewards nor punishments — there are consequences.”  
> ― Robert G. Ingersoll
> 
> I'm not very good at English, so forgive me if there are a few gramatical mistakes. This chapter is like a prologue, but the following chapters are a lot longer! And it will get a lot more interesting, too, I swear.
> 
> Enjoy! :)

 

...Tony Stark didn’t come back from Siberia that day.

 

Iron Man gone missing. Avengers in shambles and on the run. The world was shaken. Even though there has been a lot of controversy regarding the so-called ‘Avengers’, still— no one had _dared_ imagine that a world without heroes was possible.

It turned out that it _wasn’t_ possible.

Thinking that there was no one to stop them anymore, villains and criminals became more daring every day. The collateral damage the Avengers used to inflict during their battles started to look trivial compared to the damage caused by the villains gone wild.

The threat to public safety loomed bigger every day. In the end, people were forced to cry out to the Avengers for help. The UN hurriedly assembled an emergency conference. In spite of Secretary Ross’s violent opposition, 117 countries quickly came to an agreement regarding the necessity of Avengers.

T’challa, King of Wakanda and also the ‘Black Panther’, was also firm in his opinion.

"Numerous citizens are in serious distress", he said. "And the Accords are an unfinished business. It isn’t too late to discuss the matter afterwards. What we need to do know is bring back the Avengers and let them protect our people."

At last, UN made a public announcement. The Accords were to be suspended for now; they wouldn’t imprison or oppress their heroes. The Avengers would have their liberty. Their previous crimes would be pardoned.

So Steve Rogers and his friends came back.

The new S.H.I.E.L.D., led by Director Phil Coulson, was assigned the job of mediating between the Avengers and the UN. The reunited Avengers agreed in working together with Coulson in order to stabilize public safety. After a month or so, the world was nearly back to normal, thanks to the World’s Mightiest Heroes. The once-broken team was back to living together in the Avengers Mansion; they were back to working together seamlessly. Everything was going perfectly well.

There was no problem. No problem at all.

Except for the fact that Iron Man wasn’t there.

 

 

 _Tony didn’t know what do._ _The Arc Reactor was broken, the Iron Man suit nonfunctional. He was left behind. Alone. With nothing more than Captain America’s shield._

_It was cold. It was painful._

_He tried to get up, but his arms felt too weak. He groaned as he slipped and fell. Sprawled out on the icy surface, he blinked sluggishly. His ribs felt broken, and his body ached all over. He couldn’t contact FRIDAY, he couldn’t get out, he couldn’t simply move. He felt utterly, terribly_ lost— _and in more ways than one._

 _Whatever._ No one’s trying to find me anyway, _he thought, letting his eyes flutter shut._ No one cares _. He sighed, letting his head drop and rest on the frozen ground._

_And then-_

_Footsteps._

_Tony blinked, feeling confused and groggy. Darkness was falling already— he must have fallen unconscious for an hour or so. The footsteps and voices were drawing nearer._ _He could hear their hushed conversations._

_"Are you certain he’s here?”_

_“We’ve been keeping an eye on this place. No one has exited this bunker after Rogers, Barnes, and the king of Wakanda. It is highly plausible that Stark in no condition to move.”_

_“Good. Find him.”_

_What? Tony blinked rapidly. His brain was moving sluggishly, but his self-preservation instinct was screaming at him to run. He clenched his teeth and managed to push himself up from the ground with sheer willpower._

_But it was too late._

_A brilliant flash of light momentarily blinded him. Someone was pointing a flashlight at him. Tony instinctively raised his hand to shield his eyes from the light and scrambled away from the newcomers. Panic gripped his heart._

_“He’s there,” a rough voice growled out. “Grab him.”_

_Damn it! Tony inhaled sharply and jumped to his feet. Damn it, damn it, damn it. Adrenaline madly coursed throughout his veins. His hand jerked upwards, but the repulsor was nothing without the Arc Reactor. It sparked and fizzled a few times before going completely dim._

_Tony’s breath fell short._

_No. No!_

_The men quickly realized that he was no threat and leapt forwards to grab him. Tony hollered out and struggled against their vice-like grip. One of them snapped out a syringe and plunged the needle into his neck. Tony’s eyes widened as strength rapidly left his body._

_“No, no, no—"_

_Darkness churned and utterly swallowed his vision. His body fell to the ground with a heavy ‘thump’. The man who was smoking while he watched this scene unfold grinned and gave a quick nod. Two of his men stepped forward and lifted Tony Stark, suit and all, from the ground. Another stayed back to rid the place of any evidence that they were there._

_Since everything was taken care of, they exited Siberia’s bunker soon after. A sleek black jet was waiting for them in front of the bunker. They loaded an unconscious Tony Stark onto it. The men also climbed in._

_"Let’s leave,” the rough-voiced man said, incessantly chewing his tobacco._

_"Heil Hydra," the pilot replied automatically. The jet started to lift._

The Avengers weren’t too concerned for Tony. Not knowing Tony Stark very well, they just assumed that he had taken a spontaneous leave and would return to them sooner or later. Only two of them didn’t share the opinion.

"Let it go. Give him space. He’s probably taking a break. He sure needs one," Sam Wilson said with a careless shrug. Steve Rogers shook his head. He looked troubled; guilt and worry was looming over his mind like a constant shadow.

“But disappearing- that’s not like Tony,” he murmured. Sam simply shrugged and turned away.

Nervously drumming his fingers against his lap, Steve took a furtive glace at Natasha. She was leaning on the balcony, an emotionless mask on her face. He hesitated before speaking up.

"I shouldn’t have left him there," he muttered. Natasha nodded, not even turning to look at him.

“No, you shouldn’t have.”

Steve flinched. She continued with a sigh.

“Tony Stark isn’t the man to take off like that; he’s more of a ‘I-will-lock-myself-up-in-the-lab’ type. He would have returned under normal circumstances. But there wasn’t a trace of him left in that bunker. Seamless disappearance?” she shrugged. “Never bodes well.”

 _And you’re partly responsible, Steve. You, who chose Bucky and promptly left Tony behind without looking back even once._

She didn’t say this aloud, but Steve could hear it nonetheless. He flinched again and leaned on the balcony, his head downcast. Natasha’s eyes softened at this. 

"Director Coulson shares my opinion. Regardless of what the other teammates are thinking, the S.H.I.E.L.D. is actively searching for Tony. He said that he’d tell us immediately if they find him. Focus on what you _can_ do for now, Captain.” 

Steve nodded wordlessly.

 

_"Anthony Edward Stark, we’d gladly accept and value your voluntary cooperation.”_

_Bloodied and bound to a wooden chair, Tony frowned when an all-too-bright light was shone upon him. He bared his teeth and grinned like a ferocious beast._

_"_ _Fuck you.”_

_The man carelessly gave him a shrug and turned his back against Tony. He nodded towards his subordinates._

_"Begin the process.”_

_Another man walked forwards and grabbed Tony’s hair with a gloved hand. And without a moment’s hesitation, he pushed his head into the water. Tugged it back up. Pushed it back in._

 

_Soon, Tony started thrashing against his restraint._

 _He screamed._


	2. Wiped and Broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony Stark is remade into the Mechanic. He doesn't cope well. Hydra doesn't care.

 

_Eleven Months ago-_

“We’ve lost a lot and suffered too much. Who would have thought that Baron Strucker would get arrested and die in such a disappointing manner?”

The man with the rough voice puffs on his cigarette. He sighs, and white wisps of smoke swirls out from his mouth. Tony doesn’t lift his head. Water drips from his messy hair.

“So we’ve found ourselves limited in our resources. We had to go into hiding. Everyone knew about Hydra now, so we couldn’t use our previous methods. As a last resort we tried getting our hands on the super soldiers, but……”

 _That damned Sokovian had to go and wreck everything, didn’t he?_ The man lets out a playful sigh. Then, his hand shoots forward, grasping and lifting Tony’s chin. Their eyes meets. The brown eyes are dim and foggy. The man smirks.

“Well, I’d have to make do, then. Thankfully we have one bag of super soldier serum left. Not quite a lot, mind— after all, it’s the leftover we’ve managed to salvage after creating the super soldiers. But it’s enough to create one Soldier. What do you think, Stark? Won’t it be a nice new beginning for Hydra’s resurrection?”

“Why are you telling me this?" Tony chokes out. His breath fall dangerously short, but he still has enough strength to manage a grin. "Villains who are too fond of their own voices never win.”

“Oh, good. I see your resistance hasn’t died out yet. No worries— that’s going to change soon enough." The man let go of Tony’s chin. Weak coughs racked his body. Gasping for breath, Tony let his head drop. The man chuckled. “And why am I telling you this?"

"......"

With great effort, Tony lifts his head. The fog is gone from his eyes, and he glares at the man like he wants kill him. The man doesn’t care— he smiles. It’s a dangerous, unreadable smile.

"The reason I’m telling you this,” he whispers in a silky voice. His hands rest comfortingly on Tony’s messed-up hair. "is because _you_ , Tony Stark, are going to be our genius Mechanic, our new Zola, and our Winter Soldier all in one."

Tony’s eyes widen. His heart drops to the pit of his stomach.

_Bucky Barnes crushing his parents to death, no mercy in his steely grasp. The Winter Soldiers in the Siberian bunker, those dead, cold eyes. Howard and Maria, dead at the hand of Hydra……_

_No. No, no, no, no, no._

“Never,” he snarls, desperately tugging at his bound hands. The all-too-visible fury is really made up to mask the terrible fear he’s feeling at the moment. When his hands don’t come free, his head snaps up and he bursts out laughing. The laughter is incredulous and filled to the brim with confidence that he doesn’t have. He laughs and laughs as if he’s not the prey but the predator. But the mask is nothing but a mask, and his hands are trembling minutely.

“In Afghanistan they failed to crush me. That damned _Loki_ couldn’t control me. Seriously? You think you can have me under your thumb, _Hydra?”_

"We’ve got a lot of experience and patience. With that one can achieve anything.” The man smiles. His eyes have the glint of the predator. He gets up. "Well then! Best wishes, Tony Stark. I'll see you later.”

_Take him._

 

 

_"We need his intelligence, not his memory. Use the existing Winter Soldier Program. Electrocution, frying the brain, erasing the memory, you know. The usual routine. Nothing special.”_

_“I’m sorry, sir, but a normal human being cannot survive such treatment. The Winter Soldiers had enhanced bodies, but Stark doesn’t.”_

_“It’s okay. We have the serum, right? It will upgrade his durability. He will survive.”_

_“Certainly…… with the serum’s effects taken into calculation, it will be possible to destroy specific memory neurons without killing him.”_

_“Good. Wait till he is sufficiently weakened. And then start right away.”_

_“Yes, sir.”_

 

 

Pain.

Pain is red. Pain rips his body apart and drags it into a deep sea. It’s always there, even when you close your eyes tight and pray that they will never open again. It is a heavy weight pressing down on your lungs, just like the arc reactor.

This time, it’s worse than Afghanistan. At least the terrorists were idiots. The monsters that torture him here are clever. They’ve studied the art of breaking a human being for decades. They know how much someone can endure before they die.

_Stop this. Please._

_Just stop it. I don’t—_ **_I can’t—_ **

_Where are you? Why is no one coming for me?_

When they come back, Tony can’t even find the strength to lift his head. They unbind him. His wrists are raw and red from being rubbed against the ropes. They drag him up from the wooden chair. He has spent eternity on it. So he hobble like a puppet when they make him walk. Where could they be taking him?

The world darkens and brightens sporadically. He blinks slowly. He’s in a room surrounded by white walls. They make him lie down on a smooth, hard surface. The man is looking down at him. He always stinks of tobacco. It makes him gag and want to throw up.

“Tony Stark. This is your last chance to offer your voluntary cooperation,” the man says. He grins like a shark. He already knows what Tony’s going to say. _And_ he’s asking. Tony hates him for that. Pure and simple  _rage_ flares up in his heart, fierce and burning.

_I’m not broken yet. Pepper, Rhodey, for all for you._

_And I won’t give in. Ever._

Tony opens his mouths and spits blood at the man’s face. The man’s face hardens. Tony bursts out laughing. The man draws back and wipes his face with his sleeve. He nods.

“Understood,” he growls. He snaps his fingers. A scientist in a white lab coat scurries forward. He is holding a bag— the bag containing the modified serum. Before Tony can resist, two burly men come forward and restrains him. The scientist plunges a needle into his wrist. The serum starts trickling in.

Tony’s laughter soon morphs into a blood-curdling scream.

 

 

 _ ~~Stop it, stop it, stop it!~~_  


My body

             is

             breaki   ng

 

             down  


_~~And it hurts hurts hurts~~_  


The bone crumples and sticks back together with a sickening crunch. The muscle tissues are reprogrammed one by one. He can feel every one of the changes. A foreign drug is coursing through his veins. He scream and scream and scream. You went through _this,_ Steve Rogers? How did you survive? Why didn’t you beg for _death,_ when it’s so painful and utterly agonizing _?_

_Pepper, Pepper, Pepper. Where are you? Where’s everybody?_

_I’m going to survive this._

_I’m going to survive this and return to you, even if you don’t love me anymore._

He scream and a drop of tear slides down his cheek.

James Bucky Barnes. Seventy years at Hydra. He cannot even begin to fathom the agony that man has gone through. Have I done something wrong? Have I made the wrong choices? Is it all my mistakes?

His thoughts have no head nor tail. They madly bounce around like scraps of nonsense. They _are_ scraps of nonsense.

He cannot remember when the pain has started. He does not realize it when the pain comes to an abrupt stop. Tony doesn’t feel it when they drag him up from the bed. He’s too numb, and the serum is still burning within his veins. He’s halfway unconscious, and his head bobs up and down. A doctor rushes in and takes his pulse.

“He’s alright,” the doctor calls out. “The serum worked. I can see no injuries anymore. The experiment is a success.”

"Then hurry. Take him to the Chair. If he regains consciousness right now and decides to attack us, it won’t be pretty. We need to wipe him _right now_ ,” the man says.

The Chair isn’t very far away. They drag him there and chain him to it. _You need to resist this_ , a small voice whispers in his head. As they put heavy restraints on his hands and feet, as they clasp a strange thing around his head, Tony Stark groans groggily and manages to lift his head.

There’s a large mirror before him.

He can’t see any noticeable change. He isn’t muscular or bulky like those other super soldiers. No. Wait. His face- his face was different. His face was that of the man who had just begun his Iron Man career. He can’t be older than, like, thirty-five or something, he observes. He blinks, his thoughts hazy and sluggish.

At that very moment, his head clears. And everything comes crashing down.

_What?_

Only _then_ does he realize what’s happening. His eyes widen in horror.

What were they _doing_ to him? **What—!**

At that very moment, the electricity sparks, and his vision blurs in a blinding flash. Everything is burning white. _They’re frying my brain!_ He opens his mouth and screams silently, madly. Fear of what was going to happen exceeds the pain he’s feeling.

He’s going to lose everything.

 _Pepper, Happy, Rhodey, Thor, Bruce, Natasha, Clint, Jarvis, Steve…… Steve Rogers. I’m going to forget you. I won’t be able to_ recognize _you, dammit! What should I do? What should I do?!_

Nothing.

It was beyond his power to resist. One by one, the memories got dragged up to the surface, burning bright before it scatters into the void. Into nothingness.

... _...Pepper’s laughing. He’s fighting alongside his team in his suit. Thor encourages them with a booming laughter. They fly. Oh, how happy it makes him. He has a family that he has never had._

It’s fading.

_The movie night in the Avengers Tower. Steve, gaping at the screen as they watch Star Wars. ……Professor Banner, I’m a huge fan of how you go all green rage monster…… Natasha sings. Clint laughs, a lighthearted chuckle that puts everyone at ease._

It’s fading.

_And the coldness, the Siberia, the betrayal, the pain, the torture—_

Everything fades, and. And.

And then...... nothing.

He opens his eyes and shivers. He feels cold. He lifts his head and stares into the mirror before him.

 

He doesn’t know that face.

 

 

"Ready to comply.”

“Assemble it.”

They give him circuit boards, engines, guns, missiles. He’s the Nameless. He doesn’t speak up. He doesn’t ask questions. He know how to assemble it before he’s taught how to.

They warn him that he will be punished if he makes a single mistake. But he never makes mistakes. This is as easy as breathing to him.

So they leave him to his work.

 

 

"Ready to comply.”

He says automatically. The man— the man using the name ‘Baron’ nods in compliment. He hands him a round, blue object. It’s dysfunctional, broken. The nameless one traces his thumb along the jagged edge. He observes.

“You need to fix this. It’s called the arc reactor.”

Baron is observing him carefully as he says this, and he doesn’t know why.

“Its core is powered by artificially synthesized Vibranium or Palladium. Can you fix this?”

“Analysis: broken case and disconnected wires. Given Vibranium, this can be fixed in three days. Ready to comply.”

He replies. But even as he says those words, a strange feeling tickles him at the back of his head. Something is wrong. So very wrong. He puts down the arc reactor. Gazes at its bluish core.

And then it comes back. Unexpectedly.

_‘Proof that Tony Stark Has a Heart’_

“……Pepper?” he whispers before realizing. His eyes widen. It’s suddenly so hard to breathe. Panic grips his heart. _~~Why am I here Tony Tony Stark Pepper Iron Man~~ —_

He jumps to his feet and shouts. _“Pepper!”_

Immediately, a sharp needle pricks his neck. He falls. His arms and legs are paralyzed, and he can’t move, no matter how hard he tries. He quickly gulps a lungful of air and manages to look up.

“Pepper Potts,” he blurt out, shuddering horribly. “Jarvis. Rhodey. Bruce. Happy. Tasha. Thor. Clint. S-Steve Rogers……”

Baron turns his back against the fallen man and gives his subordinates a brisk nod.

“The Chair,” he says. “We start again.”

 

 

“You need to fix this. It’s called the arc reactor.”

Baron is observing him carefully as he says this, and he doesn’t know why.

“Its core is powered by artificially synthesized Vibranium or Palladium. Can you fix this?”

“Analysis: broken case and disconnected wires. Given Vibranium, this can be fixed in three days. Ready to comply.”

He replies. Nothing is wrong, so he starts working immediately.

He fixes the Arc Reactor in two days.

 

 

Sometimes the memories come back. And Tony doesn’t react well.

 

 

Tony is terrified and enraged at the same time. He screams and wrenches himself away from people’s grasps. They were making him into an empty shell, making him make goddamn weapons for Hydra. How many would die because of him this time?

He grabs a huge man and tosses him away like he’s nothing. The goon flies and crashes against the wall. The wall crumbles down into dust and rock. The man slides down to the floor and sprawls out, unconscious or dead. Tony doesn’t care. He also doesn’t care about his impossibly changed body strength.

Tony desperately looks around. There! He turns to run away. And then-

Baron speaks.

“ _Weapon, Desert, Heat."_

Tony freezes, jerking his head backward. Baron continues.

" _Philanthropy, Zero, Robot, Seven."_

"No......" Tony moans. His pupils dilate and his knees buckle. He falls to the ground. Hits the ground. The cold, impassive voice rings in his ears.

_“Siberia, Accords, Nineteen."_

“No……!”

Baron snaps his notepad shut.

“ _Cold. Grief."_

Silence falls. Tony struggles against an invisible restraint before going still. His brown eyes goes empty. He opens his mouth. His voice is strained, rough.

_“……Ready to comply.”_

Baron nods. He turns around.

“The Chair. Again.”

 

 

They wipe him and fill him up with other things. Ways to kill. Ways to torture. Tony obeys and learns. Sometimes, though, the memories come back. Unexpectedly. Tony screams. He fights. Sometimes he sobs and pleads. Sometimes he threatens them. But nothing works. Baron speaks those damned words and he’s immobilized.

“Give up. They aren’t going to come for you,” Baron says.

“Shut up,” Tony snarls, trying to throw off the restraints. Baron shrugs and turns around.

“Wipe him.”

Electricity flashes white. And everything begins anew. They wipe him, fill him up, give commands. He obeys.

 

 

One day, he stops resisting altogether.

“Make weapons using arc reactor as an energy source,” Baron says. The Nameless lifts his head and stares blankly at his master.

“Ready to comply,” he says. Baron smirks, satisfied. The Nameless turns his head back to the work table and focuses on the task at hand. He makes weapons.

He never asks questions.

 

 

When he gives them weapons, they give him a name. They say that he passed the test. He is called the Mechanic now. He likes it. He has a name now, a name that belongs to him.

They train him to fight. He is trained to use his hands, knives, guns, grenades, everything. His enhanced body can easily crush steel. When he does well, they give him time to rest.

They don’t let him sleep. Training, making weapons, getting a physical examination. That’s all he does. He is tired, and kills his sparring partner without a moment’s hesitation in order to get a break. Baron gives him a break with a pleased smile.

 

 

One day the training session is cancelled. Baron calls him. He goes. His master shows him a list. It has names, ability assessment, and pictures of people. He don’t recognize them. They are strangers.

“Memorize this,” Baron says.

“Who are they?” Tony asks, flipping through the pages. Baron chuckles and puffs out smoke.

_Steve Rogers._

_Natasha Romanoff._

_Clint Barton._

“They are called the Avengers. They are our enemy. Your enemy.”

“Enemy……”

_Bruce Banner. Thor. Vision. Wanda Maximoff. Sam Wilson. James Rhodes. Scott Lang. Spider-man._

“They’ve lied to you, and destroyed you. They will never stop hurting you. When you see them, the emotions you should feel are— violent hatred. Fear. Urge to kill.”

_Fear. **Hatred.**_

At Baron’s words, the emotions immediately flare up from within him. The faces are burned into his eyes, his brain. They blaze like fire, bright, terrible and _hurting._ He clenches his teeth in pain.

“Are they my target?” he grinds out.

“Yes. When you run into them, your objective is to fight and eliminate them. Never listen to them. Don’t believe a word. But when you feel like you are going to be captured, run away. Do not get captured at any cost, understand? This is an order.”

Baron says each word very, very slowly, watching him with careful wariness.

“Remember, all right? Fear. Hatred.”

The papers crumple in the Mechanic’s grip. And, as the order commands him to—

He starts fearing them.

Terribly.

“Understood,” he whispers. Unknown emotions rise like bile in his throat and make it tighten. He finds it hard to breathe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers: Tony meets the Avengers in the next chapter. Let the Avengers drown in shock and guilt. Yay!  
> This story is updated twice a week.
> 
> Kudos, comments and constructive criticism is more than welcome :)


	3. The Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brainwashed Tony finally runs into the Avengers. He panics. The resulting fight is pretty inevitable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the late arrival. University has been busy. Thanks for waiting! Enjoy!

 

The small room directly connected to the lab was where he slept. It was cramped, it was dark, and there was absolutely no furniture at all except for a wooden bed that made creaking sounds when he tossed and turned. It was also constantly monitored via a CCTV, but he didn't find discomfort at that fact. He had long since completely forgotten the concept of 'discomfort'. All that was left in his head was stuff they had taught him. Things that _mattered._  


 

Or... not really.

 

When he slept at night, he dreamed of people that he didn't know. Their faces were blurred, and they were nameless in his mind, but they would laugh. They would chuckle and laugh and it made him feel good. Happy. Pleased. Their joy mattered to him, too. Although he had absolutely no idea who 'they' were.

 

That night, lying on the wooden surface of the bed, he stared at the tar-black ceiling and thought of their laughter.

 

  
_Who are you? Where are you? Can I meet you someday? One day? Am I allowed to wish for it?_ He picked up a tiny stone and pressed his fingers together. The little piece of rock instantly shattered into dust and fell through his fingers. The Mechanic stared at the remnants. He had a feeling that he wasn't always this strong.

 

How on earth did I end up here?

 

\--No, don't question. Questions meant pain. Punishment and agony and 'being Wiped'. He didn't remember many things, but one thing he remembered clearly was his own painful screams as he was Wiped. He would beg for mercy and call out names he couldn't recall. And the Mechanic had no intention of going through that again.

 

So he closed his eyes and pushed those thoughts away.

 

 

* * *

 

"I really didn't expect things to be like this," Bruce Banner murmured, looking down at his feet. James Rhodes, who was sitting in a wheelchair, shrugged with a heavy sigh.

 

"Nobody expected things to turn out like this, Doctor."

 

He lifted his hand and started to count.

 

"For a start, there are the Accords, our fight, and my spine injury. Oh, and don't worry. I blame no one for this. Plus, the Accords went to the trash bin, and everyone's happy and reconciled all around now. Which leaves Tony's disappearance."

 

"If I haven't left. If I haven't run away, would things have been... different?" Bruce asked, agony painted all over his face. Rhodey shook his head.

 

"Well, actually, things could have been worse. As far as I know, Secretary Ross isn't on good terms with you."

 

"Ah. Yes. Yes, that's right."

 

Bruce jerked back with a sigh and ruffled his own hair. Rhodey watched Bruce for a moment before wheeling his wheelchair back into the mansion. Bruce glanced back but didn't stop him. Instead, he leaned onto the balcony rails and watched the clouds pass by.

 

The Avengers Mansion was as crowded as it ever was. The Avengers, both new and old, were back. There was also a teenager who went by the name of Spiderman, and Scott Lang with his Ant-man suit. Those two often made a visit to ask for help or to simply chat over the matters at hand. Clint was back from his retirement. James "Bucky" Barnes, also known as the Winter Soldier, had fully recoverd and came to join the Avengers. Colonel Rhodes was steadily recovering from his injury. Director Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D, Maria Hill, Nick Fury, and the Black Panther were among the familiar faces. Even he, Bruce Banner, was back.

 

The only one absent was the owner of this Mansion.

 

When Steve came out to the balcony to see Bruce, he blurted out that something was wrong.

 

"You know Tony wouldn't just disappear like that. Even when Ultron happened, he didn't run away. He's the one to take responsibility. He would tackle the matter at hand and be the lone gunslinger rather than _run away._ God, and he disappears just like this? This isn't right, Captain. This isn't _Tony."_  


 

"I know."

 

Guilt flickered over Steve's countenance. His eyes were downcast as he continued.

 

"I worried, too. But...." he hesitated for a moment. "S.H.I.E.L.D. searched the bunker. They couldn't find any clue at all. Even FRIDAY was disconncected from the suit when I broke the arc reactor. Tony- I mean, I shouldn't have just _left_ him there-"

 

"Don't blame yourself," Bucky said in a stiff voice. "The real reason everything went hayways is me, wasn't it?"

 

"Bucky, please. Don't take blame for what you have done as the Winter Soldier. I'm responsible for this one," Steve replied. Bucky sighed, suffling his feet.

 

"Even then. We just left him there, defenseless and alone. We left Howard's son there."

 

Silence fell. Bucky turned around to face Bruce.

 

"I'm sorry. I don't know where Stark is, but I will do whatever I can to locate him."

 

"Thanks."

 

Bruce gave a short nod. The three of them stood on the balcony for some time in heavy silence. One was worrying, one was blaming oneself, and one was pondering the 'what if's. In the end, FRIDAY was the one that broke them out of their musings.

 

"Captain Rogers, there are visitors waiting for you. Facial recognition system was activated. They were confirmed to be Director Coulson and former Director Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. Shall I let them throught?"

 

Steve lifted his head. He nodded and straightened his back with a sigh. If only it was news regarding Tony's whereabouts that had brought them to the Mansion.

 

"Yes," he said. "Bring them in, FRIDAY."

 

 

* * *

 

"HYDRA has started moving again."

 

Bucky Barnes jerked at Director Coulson's words. Nick Fury was staring at him, as if making an evaluation. Wanda paled at the news, too, and Steve unknowingly cleched his teeth. Those damn parasites. No matter how many times they were crushed, they always came back.

 

"They are implementing a much more agressive strategy. Now that they are widely known, they don't have reason to hide anymore. Anyway, they are randomly terrorizing places with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in order to find our Headquarters."

 

"And what about _their_ headquarters?" Natasha asked, tilting her head forward. Fury stepped forward.

 

"We couldn't find them. Yet," he said. "And here's a bigger problem. Their recent weapons."

 

A three dimensional hologram spread out before their eyes. Steve carefully regarded the weapon. It looked like a regular rifle.

 

"Looks like a regular firearm, doesn't it? But here's the catch; it emits energy blasts. Like sci-fi. Star Wars. It's nothing like we've ever seen. Except..."

 

"Except for Tony's repulsor technology," Bruce finished. Fury nodded.

 

"Even the frequency's similiar. We could really use Stark at this moment. This is his speciality. Us? We don't know what the hell we should do. So what we will do is find the HYDRA base and beat the information out from them. That's our only solution."

 

"Sound pretty effective," Clint Barton muttered. Coulson nodded.

 

"We are here to tell you that we'd really appreciate some help here. If you get any leads, if you find any HYDRA agents..."

 

"...We'll cooperate, we get it," Natasha added. The Avengers nodded in agreement.

 

But they didn't know what was waiting for them.

 

* * *

 

They gave the Mechanic something called an 'Iron Man suit'. It was damaged and powerless, something closer to a chunk of metal rather than a weapon, but it was marvelous nontheless. The Mechanic peered at it with interest.

 

"You will be taken off your training sessions for a week. That's it, a week. Fix this suit, make it suitable for remote control. And replicate this, make partial armours. You will be given the resources," Baron commanded, staring straight at him. He seemed a little tense. The Mechanic didn't know why. He didn't care.

 

"Ready to comply," he replied automatically. He felt nothing as he saw the suit. It looked vaguely familiar, but that was it. He began working on it immediately.

 

It took him exactly a week for him to finish his work. He made partial armours, replica of the Iron Man suit, and fixed the original suit, too. The Arc Reactor he had made previously was inserted into the suit. It was successful. Baron called the suit- no, it was closer to a robot now- 'Iron Destroyer', and laughed in satisfaction. He said that the robot would become Hydra's Fist.

 

The Mechanic did as Baron told him to. He armed the suit with additional weapons, weapons of his own design. He didn't feel pleased at arming the elegant suit with such ugly, horrendous weapons, but he didn't object.

 

He never questioned his orders.

 

 

 

Two weeks later, they told him to implement an A.I. so that the Iron Destroyer would be able to eliminate HYDRA's enemy by itself. He did as he was ordered to, and designed an A.I. It was an artificial intelligence, but it didn't need special functions. It didn't need a personality. Simple recognition and elimination of enemy. It was a piece of cake.

 

His fingers danced across the keyboard in a familiar gesture. Tightly programmed codes scrolled across the screen. The HYDRA engineer who was supposed to keep an eye on the code and the Mechanic did his work for a few minutes, but decided that the Mechanic was properly doing his work and started dozing off.

 

The Iron Destroyer was getting closer and closer to full activation every moment. Soon it became funcional enough to move, recognize its enemy, and engage him in a fight. The Mechanic typed and typed. And then, suddenly, he found himself typing in a short code into the computer.

   
 **< System/HSFOUND1%22#/Enter/Enter>**  


 

He froze for a moment. What have I done? Why did I type this in? He stared at the code, but he couldn't figure out what it was. What it meant. Why....?

 

"Why did you stop? Is there a problem?"

 

The Mechanic blinked. The engineer was peering at him suspiciously. He shook his head and stammered out an answer.

 

"No... no, there is no problem, sir. I apologize. I felt dizzy for a moment. It won't happen again."

 

He started typing again, feeling a little dazed. The engineer frowned and stared at him for a minute before turning away. Meanwhile, the Mechanic typed on and on. Confusion creeped at the edges of his consciousness. What was that code? Why did he type it it, as if he was hypnotized? He wondered.

 

But he told no one about it.

 

* * *

 

Natasha Romanoff rushed into the living room. She was holding a phone in her hand.

 

"It's Coulson. He found the HYDRA headquarters," she said in an urgent voice. "The original S.H.I.E.L.D. had a code for tracking down Hydra. Someone used it. We have a homing signal from Nebraska right now."

 

The Avengers, plus Peter Parker, who was in the middle of a pizza night, froze at the news. Silence fell for a split second as they processed the news. Then they immediately sprang up and started to suit up. Peter blinked and lifted his hand.

 

"Er- if I'm getting it right, we're doing this right now? A full Avengers Assemble? Go get the villians? Wow!"

 

"Yes," Bucky's eyes gleamed dangerously. "HYDRA.... Nice to hear from them. Let's show them a taste of their own medicine, shall we?"

 

"Bucky, calm down."

 

Steve said hurriedly as he fetched his suit. He now wielded a gun instead of his missing shield. He let his gaze sweep over the Avengers.

 

"Everyone, let's go. Let's end this."

 

"Sounds good," Sam muttered. "You coming, Spider-Kid?"

 

Peter beamed excitedly.

 

"Of course!"

 

* * *

 

After his work hours, the Mechanic was allowed a brief break. He was in the middle of a deep slumber on his bed when the base started exploding and shaking. He awoke, and blinked several times before getting up from his bed. Sound of guns going off, screams, shouts. It's loud. It's chaotic. What's going on?

 

He lowered his body and crept out of his room. There was no one in the labatory. He tiptoed towards the CCTV screens and peered at it.

 

His heart seemed to freeze.

 

He could see familiar faces. Faces that haunted him in his nightmares. The faces on Baron's list. They were the 'Avengers', and they were wrecking havoc on the base.

 

A huge green arm broke throught the ceiling and pulled the pillars away, revealing a horrible green face and the open, blue sky. The base partly crumpled down, burying soldiers underneath chunks of rock and cement. People were fighting all over the place. The Iron Destroyer was also fighting the Avengers.

 

_They are going to hurt me._

 

Terror and hatred gripped him, paralyzing his thoughts. He responded as he was programmed to. His hand was shuddering involuntarily and uncontrollably. He gulped, but his mouth was dry.

 

  
_They are going to hurt me_.

 

Baron's voice blared through his empty, frozen mind.

 

"When you run into them, your objective is to fight and eliminate them. Never listen to them. Don’t believe a word. They’ve lied to you, and destroyed you. They will never stop hurting you. When you see them, the emotions you should feel are— violent hatred. Fear. Urge to kill."

 

Do not get captured.

 

_Fear. **Hatred.**_

 

He repeated it to himself like a mantra. Baron's order was everything what he was made of. Only fear, and hatred mattered, nothing else did. His heart, which was drumming all too quickly, started to slow a beat. He tried to inhale deeply and calm down. Eliminate......

 

He quickly picked up a bracelet that he had designed and constructed. He also picked up a repulsor gun on the lab desk. He breathed in and out, and let himself immerse fully into Baron's voice. Baron's orders. His eyes became unfocused and empty.

 

"Ready to comply," he whispered.

 

And he burst out of the lab- straight into the battle zone.

 

* * *

HYDRA was powerless against their unified strength. It was almost all too easy.

 

Hulk roared and ripped off the ceiling of the base as if it was nothing. Then he grabbed the helicopters and bashed it to the ground. Wanda and Vision teamed up, as did Bucky, Sam, and Steve. Natasha and Peter scattered, taking care of the rogue HYDRA agents. They went deeper and deeper into the base. Walls and pillars toppled and crumpled from the impact of the battle. There was no trap as they had feared.

 

But Clint Barton was nowhere to be seen.

 

"Hawkeye?" Steve shouted out of worry. A full minute ticked by before there was finally a reply. There was a buzzing noise, and Clint's tense voice burst through the comm link.

 

"This is Hawkeye. Currently engaged in a battle."

 

Steve frowned. A battle so intense that Clint couldn't make a status report? In a small base like this? Something was wrong.

 

"The enemy?"

 

"A robot." Clint replied, his voice stiff. "Similar to 'War Machine', but much more bulky... and ugly. The soliders called it the 'Iron Destroyer'. It's a killer machine, and they set it loose on us!"

 

"Someone support Hawkeye," Steve commanded. Vision's voice replied via the comm link.

 

"No support needed. I have joined Agent Barton."

 

"All right."

 

Steve let some of the tension seep out from his shoulders. Everything was going to be fine. He flicked off the comm link and continued forward, side-by-side with Bucky. Sam was a good hundred meters ahead of him.

 

After a few grueling minutes of struggle, he heard a buzzing noise. Again. It was an incoming message from Vision. Steve activated the comm with a flick of hand. He shouted, wielding his gun at a HYDRA soldier.

 

"Status report!"

 

"....There is something strange, Captain Rogers, and I thought you should be notified of this."

 

Steve pressed his comm with his hand, paying closer attention to the message.

 

"Something strange?"

 

"If my eyes aren't wrong, one of the weapons the Destroyer is using is--" Vision hesitated before continuing. "It is a blackened version of your Vibranium shield, Captain."

 

Steve's eyes widened, and his feet stuttered to a stop. _What...?_  


 

At that very moment, Sam Wilson's voice burst out of the comm, loud and urgent.

 

"Captain! Cap! Somebody came out and engaged me in a fight-"

 

Steve felt as if the world was spinning. No, no, it can't be-

 

"-And it's Stark! _Tony Stark!"_  


 

 


	4. Meet the Mechanic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All the Mechanic can feel is fear and hatred as he lashes out at the strangers that calls themselves the Avengers. He was programmed to be so, after all.

Sam Wilson re-adjusted his goggles as he charged forward. The ceiling was all but ripped out, which made it much easier for him to utilize his wings. He spread them and leapt up, seamlessly landing on a higher ground covered with shattered bricks and dust. He planted a firm kick in the Hydra sniper's chin. Glancing at the enemy toppling backwards, unconscious, he thought to himself that this was a piece of cake. No Hydra facilities were a match for the Avengers united.

That's when it happened.

The lab's door abruptly slammed open and someone rushed out. Sam startled and turned that way, since he had previously thought the room to be vacated. That turned out to be a good choice. The man squatted low and aimed a gun at him. The gun was glowing an eerie blue light. Sam Wilson's eyes widened. He barely had time to throw his body sideways as the repulsor gun burst into a storm of light and _fired._

The remnants of the wall was blasted away with a thunderous bang. Sam felt his heart race. The man had aimed for the head; he was accurate and unwavering. A very well-trained soldier, better than any other Hydra agents. Who on earth was this?

The man recharged his weapon, running straight towards him in a manner that was more reckless than courageous. Sam didn't falter as he pulled his trigger. But the opponent avoided the bullet ever so easily before leaping upwards. At that very moment, Sam could see his face. Brown and black eyes met midair. Sam felt his heart drop.

"What? Tony?"

Tony's eyes were blazing with such hatred he had never seen before. He fired again, this time successively. Sam managed to stumble away from the assault, but his wing wasn't so lucky- he could hear one shatter into pieces. Dammit, what was going on?! He gritted his teeth and shouted into the comm link.

"Captain! Cap! Somebody came out and engaged me in a fight, and it's Stark. Tony Stark!"

[....What?]

Cap seemed as aghast as he was at the news. His words were tense and rushed out.

[I'm on my way, Falcon. Hold on!]

"B-but this doesn't make sense, Cap. Why on earth is he in a Hydra-"

Sam's words were cut short as Tony threw a punch at him. Sam reflexively lifted his hand and stopped the blow midair. Tony growled as he glared ferociously at him. Next thing Falcon knew, he was ridiculously outpowered and was thrown backwards.

Bang! His head connected with the wall. Sam Wilson coughed once or twice, feeling dizzy as blood trickled down from his mouth. Dammit! This was impossible. Tony Stark was supposed to be a civilian without his suit. But here he was, beating the crap out of him like... like... like a super soldier.

_Like Bucky Barnes._

Plus, his movements were perfect, not a tiny bit overdone. Man-to-man combat wasn't the strongest area for Tony Stark, genius billionare of Stark Industries. And now it was. He wondered to himself what on earth had happened those past few weeks. What scared him the most was that he already knew the answer to that.

"Hey, hey, Stark! Tony! Chill! Can't you recognize me? Remember the Avengers?"

Tony's face crumpled in disdain. He advanced forward, his gun held ready.

"Samuel Thomas Wilson. Also known as Falcon, age 38. Previously affliated to the American Army. Current Avengers. Wing impaired successively," he snarled. "Classified as: Enemy. Elimination in process."

"......Shit." Falcon gritted his teeth. He rolled sideways to avoid the shower of gunshots. "Stark, snap out of it!"

Tony spoke no more. Instead he charged forward at top speed. Sam cursed inwardly and lifted his hands in a boxing posture. Beads of sweat trickled down his chin. With wings gone, he knew that was no match for an unnaturally powerful (and very angry) Tony Stark. And at that very moment-

"Tony!"

Tony faltered and turned around. Falcon lowered his hands, letting out a silent sigh of relief. Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes were here, running towards them. The duo stopped a few meters away, hesitating at the sight of Tony. Tony looked much... younger, and more gaunt, than they remembered him to be. And there was no recognition in his eyes. Bucky knew those eyes all too well, but he didn't want to believe it.

Silence fell. Tony's shoulders were tense. He discarded his repulsor gun, which took a long time to recharge and wasn't too good in a one-against-many situation. He slowly stepped backwards to stand on a pile of rubbles, his muscles coiled tense to fight or flee at an instant's notice. Having gained the upper ground, he let his shoulders relax a tiny bit... but there was still that terrible coldness engulfing him. He glanced around the three of them. The Falcon, Captain America, and the Winter Soldier.

He finally opened his mouth to speak.

"Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America. Physically enhanced super soldier. Previously Howling Commandos, currently a member of Avengers. James Barnes. Winter Soldier. Also a super soldier. Previously Hydra agent, currently not. Classified as: Enemy."

Having finished his analyzation, he posed for combat, ready to resume the fight. The once-sharp brown eyes were dead. Void of life.

"Enemies are to be eliminated."

"God," Bucky muttered. He felt sick. Steve gulped, looking pale and pained.

"Tony... Tony, please."

"I know no 'Tony'."

Tony ground out with venom in his voice before running straight towards Steve. Steve Rogers reflexively took on a defensive posture and blocked Tony's blow. Falcon saw Steve's eyes widen a tiniest bit. It seemed like he had noticed the change in Tony's strength, too.

And they fought. Each blow was deadly. Each blow hurt. Steve clenched his teeth, blocking every punch with difficulty.

 

No, this was worse than that horrible fight in Siberia. That Tony was furious, but he was at least _human_. This Tony was more of a weapon with the sole intent of slaughtering them. Steve begged with a sinking heart.

"Don't do this, Tony. We are your friends!"

"Shut up," Tony spat out. "They said you lied to me. They said that you harmed me and that's the reason I'm here. To stop you. You are a threat to them, to me, and you should be _eliminated!"_  


"Tony, stop!"

Steve cried out desperately. Tony locked eyes with him, and Steve momentarily saw a strong emotion flit past in those dead brown eyes. Tony whispered in a half-broken voice.

"I'm sorry, but I'll never be safe with the Avengers alive."

Tony lifted his hand, fully intending to shoot several mini-missles to his enemies and put an end to this fight. Steve froze. Only then did he realize that Tony didn't try to kill him at Siberia for good, not really. He never used those missles against Steve Rogers even at his worst moment. And now, he was going to. That drained every drop of strength out of him. Tony prepared to press the button.

And then Natasha Romanoff crept up from behind and quickly electrocuted him. The Widow's Bite was clasped tight on Tony's shoulder, making white-blue sparks of electricity shower down. Natasha stepped back as Tony convulsed, his back arched and mouth open in a wordless scream.

"....!!"

He convulsed painfully, writhing and twisting his head. Then he gritted his teeth and planted his feet onto the ground. His hand slowly moved to his shoulder and tore out the Bite in one rought gesture. He crushed it to pieces with his bare hand and turned to Natasha, his eyes flashing. He breathed deeply and dropped it. It fell to the ground, spitting out tiny sparks.

He didn't hesitate a single second before he lashed out at her with his hands. His movements were as if he had never been electrocuted. Natasha looked quite surprised- but she easily avoided his blow. Her hair bounced as she jumped back, crouching on the ground.

"He's not supposed to move after that," she muttered. "What did they turn him into?"

"Me," Bucky spoke curtly. Tony aimed the missles at him, but the suit spewed out sparks and didn't respond. The electric shock at point blank hadn't damaged the Mechanic but had successfully disabled his makeshift suit. Tony's face contorted in irritation. He ripped out the thing from his arms and crushed it underfoot. He glanced up. Natasha Romanoff, master of one-to-one combat. Bucky Barnes, a Hydra-trained killer. Steve Rogers, a super soldier with a decade worth of experience. Sam Wilson, an armed soldier.

Without his suit, he was hopelessly outpowered and outnumbered against the Avengers. He paled slightly as they advanced towards him, slow and careful. He did the numbers in his head.

He couldn't win. He couldn't eliminate them as he had been commanded to. That left him with one choice.

  
_Run if you think you are going to be caught_ , Baron had said. _Run._  


He acted as he had been programmed to do. His brain immediately focused on finding an escape route, while his heart pounded fast and hard in his chest. The blood rushed in his ears, his throat constricting under the pressure of fear. And hatred.

The Mechanic had to flee. He couldn't get caught; they would be worse, much worse than Hydra and Baron. They would manipulate him, pretend to be friends and take all they needed from him, use him, lie to him. Then after they are done, they would tear him from limb to limb and leave him crawling in the pool of his own blood. Red clouded his view. _Run Run Run--_  


~~**They are going to hurt you** ~~

The Mechanic stumbled, feeling disoriented. He inhaled roughly before he turned around and ran. He couldn't allow them to place their hands on him. He needed to run, to find Baron, to beg for safety and protection from the Avengers. Every emotion was burned out of him. Pure fear sang in his blood and drove him forwards. He ran like a hunted animal.

"No!" He could hear Natasha shout. "Captain, we can't let him get away from us!"

"Leave it to me!"

Sam spread his wings, only to realize that one had been mangled minutes before. Tony was getting farther and farther away. And then-

"Mr. Stark!"

Peter swung through the broken window, chattering away excitedly.

"I never thought you would be here, Mr. Stark! What's-"

"Spiderman, get him!" Steve shouted, cutting him short. Peter blinked under his mask.

"What?"

"Explanations later, kid. Just web him. Now!"

Peter was taken aback, but he did as he was told. He snapped around and shot his web at Tony. Tony stumbled as the fibers stuck onto him. Peter didn't miss the opportunity to make the sticky stuff rain down upon Tony. He toppled forward and fell to the ground, restrained thoroughly. Peter slowly lowered him hand and looked back at Steve.

The Mechanic desperately tried to throw off the spiderweb, but they were too strong even for him. He jerked his head up to get a better view. The Avengers were walking towards him, observing him warily as if he was a dangerous creature. He felt as if he was going to throw up. He had failed Baron. And the Avengers had him now. His mouth was dry, and he could feel his heart pounding harder and harder. His body convulsed...

_They are going to tear me apart._

No. Please, no.

His eyes rolled backwards. The Mechanic started thrashing like a beast, howling and screaming at the top of his lungs. Messy tufts of hair bounced as he curled up into a fetal position, shuddering madly. It was so distant and unfamiliar that Natasha had to clench her teeth.

What had happened to him?

Where were they when Tony Stark was broken to pieces like this?

"We're done here. Call the medic, Captain."

She said curtly and turned around. Steve nodded stiffly and contacted Coulson. Shield agents and medics arrived swiftly and cleaned up the place, arresting Agents and investigating the devastated bunker. Meanwhile the doctors surrounded Tony. Tony screamed until his throat became raw. Clint averted his eyes as the doctors filled the syringe with a dose of strong anasthetic. Tony didn't stop thrashing as they plunged the needle into his throat. As the drug began circulating in his veins, his eyes glazed over. The screams died out bit by bit, fading into silence. They watched. And watched.

"I'm sorry," Bucky whispered. "I'm so, so sorry."

He closed his eyes tightly and saw Howard, staring at him with accusing eyes. He opened them again. The Mechanic was lying there, his movements dulling. His head slowly lolled to the side. His eyes flitted shut.

Soon the Mechanic's consciousness plunged into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, there was a slight glitch to the chapter, fixed it now.


End file.
